BrandDad and BrandMom

All brands ultimately want to create an enduring relationship with you. They seek to create a lot of positive experiences so that you’ll always be attached, and return to the brand. The ultimate brand attachment can easily be called a form of love.

Which leads me to think about BrandDad and BrandMom.

What is the most enduring branding exercise of all, if it is not parenting? By loving our little ones unconditionally, providing for their needs, and hopefully creating an image of yourself in the mind and heart of your child that is positive and warm and even (at least when they’re young!) heroic, we seek to make BrandMom and BrandDad a potent force in our children’s life; enough, hopefully, to counteract the bad stuff. And there’s plenty of bad stuff out there.

I’m a parent (of 5 boys) and it’s a joy, a privilege, and a constant source of angst. At times, I look at my tribe and feel enormous pride as they emerge into young manhood, then I look into the mirror of my own inadequacies and failures and tremble that I just might blow this whole Dad thing big time. What will they think of me when they’re off on their own? Will BrandDad be just an overly-critical Cop, or will he be a for-real guy that sought to come alongside and love despite his many shortcomings? What will stand out in their memories – will they want to return, or flee?

I doubt that I’m alone in feeling this way.

So, how did BrandDad and BrandMom leave their mark with you? What are one or two positive parental brand memories that are seared into your heart, and how did they get there? What good things are you doing (if you’re a parent) to drip BrandYou into the veins of your kids?

It’s not an idle question – I really want to have a conversation about this! And with all the poisons seeking to enter into the minds and hearts of our kids, it’s more important than ever that we seek to bring good influences to our most important customers…